Relay for telegraph and other electric circuits



D. McNlCOL AND W. O. POWERS, Jn.

RELAY FOR TELEGRAPH AND OTHER ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. ms.

1 322,254. I Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

i anvemfou/ 53 1 M444 flrrom s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DONALD MCNIOOL, OF NEW YORK, AND WILLIAM G. POVJERS, JR., OF OSSINING,NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO POSTAL TELEGRAPH-CABLE COMPANY, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RELAY FOR TELEGRAPH AND OTHER ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Application filed May 2, 1918.

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DONALD Moi icoi. and \VILLIAM ()Lrvnr. Pownns, J12,citizens of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan,city, county, and State of New York, and in Oss-ining, county of\Vestchester, and State of New York, respectively, have invented certainnew and useful improvements in Relays for Telegraph and Other ElectricCircuits, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of the invention is to provide a relay adapted for usein circuits using either a direct current or an alternating current.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relay'with a yieldingcontact so disposed that it will be maintained in engage ment with theopposite contact of the relay, notwithstanding the vibrations oroscillations of the relay armature due to the cycles of the alternatingcurrent. v A further object of the invention is to provide a yieldingcontact adapted to be engaged by the contact on the relay armature, saidyielding contact being held in its normal or at rest position bybalancing the op posed stressof two springs, whereby when the yieldingcontact is moved from its normal position the stress of one spring willbe relieved while the stress of the other spring will be increased. Thepurpose of this arrangement of springs is to bring the yield ing contactback to a normal substantially fixed position without employing a rlgidstop.

There are other objects and advantages of the invention, which willappear hereinafter.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a relay made in accordancewith this invention;

Fig. 2 a side elevation, one of the relay coils being omitted and'theyielding contact support being shown in partial sectional View;

Fig. 3 a diagrammatic view of the relay in an alternating currentcircuit; and

Fig. 4 a detail side elevation of a portion of a relay, showing amodified form of yielding contact.

The relay shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is of the ordinary construction, exceptas herein specifically described, and is adapted to be Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 232,155.

placed in a circuit in the ordinary manner. The armature 1 is arrangedto be held against its back stop 2, by means of the spring 3, thetension of said spring being varied by means of the adjusting screw a.The back stop 2 may be adjusted to vary the movement of the armature, asis common in this class of instruments. The armature 1 carries the backcontact 6, which is adapted to engage the stop 2; and the forwardcontact 7, which is adapted to engage the yieldlng contact 8, thislatter being mounted upon the rigid post 9, arranged between the coils5. The contact 8 is secured to the upper end of a bar 10, pivoted at itslower end on a transverse pin 11, carried by the post 9. Interposedbetween the bar 10 and the upper end of the post 9 is a compressionspring 12, which tends to throw the pivoted bar 10 forwardly toward thearmature and which is compressed when the pivoted bar is movedrearwardly when the armature is attracted by an impulse of currentthrough the coils. Connected to the upper end of the bar 10 above thespring 12 is a tension spring 13, the rear end of said spring beingconnected to an adjusting screw 14. The

' spring 13 tends to pull the bar 10 rearwardly away from the armatureand op poses the tension of the spring 12, so that the normal positionof the bar 10 is determined by the balance of the forces eX- ertedthereon by the two springs. The tension of the spring 13 may be variedby rotating the adjustin screw 14.

It is manifest that when the armature is attracted by an impulse ofcurrent through the coils, its forward contact 7 will engage the contactand force the pivoted bar 10 rearwardly, thereby compressing the spring12 and placing it under tension and also relieving the tension of spring13. If the impulse through the coils is of alternating current thearmature will be vibrated slightly as it responds to the cycles oralternations of the current, but its contact 7 will be maintained inengagement with the contact 8 by the spring 12 and said contact willfollow accurately the vibrations of the armature, thereby maintainingconstantly the local circuit. The two opposed springs operating on theyielding contact give the best results, for the reason that through theadjustment of the spring 13 the said contact may be placed in arelatively fixed or predetermined normal position whlle at the same timethe said contact is free to move or yield forwardly as well asrearwardly under the influence of the armature. The yieldin contact willremain in engagement with the rear contact of the armature until thereis a positive break in the current through the coils, which will permitthe armature to return to its forward stop.

By reason of the pivotal. mounting of the yielding bar 10 there will bea constant wiping action between the contacts 7 and 8, which will serveto keep said points clean and bright.

As shown in Fig. 4, the armature 15 carries a spring contact 16, whichis adapted to engage a fixed rear contact 17. In this form of the devicethe yielding contact 16 carried by the armature will maintain itsengagement with the fixed rear contact 17 during the vibrations of thearmature, due to the alternations of current through the relay coils.

It is manifest from the foregoing that the principal object of theinvention is to provide a relay with a yielding contact adapted torespond readily to the vibrations of the armature caused by an impulseof alternating current through the relay coils. It is also manifest thatthe relay shown in the drawings and described herein, is adapted for usein all forms of circuits in which relays of the ordinary form may beused, and that it is adapted for use in direct current and alternatingcurrent circuits without any change in the circuits through the relayproper.

What we claim is:

1. A relay adapted to be operated by alternating or direct current,comprising an armature having a forward contact, relay coils, ayieldable contact adapted to be engaged by the armature contact, acompression spring normally forcing said yieldable contact toward thearmature, whereby said spring will be compressed when the contacts areengaged under the influence of a current impulse through the relaycoils, and a retractile spring connected to said yieldable contact andadapted to be placed under tension b the compression spring.

2. A relay a apted to be operated by alternating or direct current,comprising an armature having a forward contact, relay coils, a pivotedupright bar carrying a contact adapted to be engaged by the armaturecontact, a compression spring normally forcing said bar toward thearmature, whereby sald spring will be compressed when the contacts areengaged under the influence of a current impulse through the relaycoils, and a; ietractilel spring connected to said bar and adapted to beplaced under tension by the compression spring.

3. A relay adapted to be operated by alternating or direct current,comprising an armature having a forward contact, relay coils, a pivotedupright bar carrying a contact adapted to be engaged by the armaturecontact, a compression spring normally forcing said bar toward thearmature, wherebysaid spring will be compressed when the contacts areengaged under the influence of a current impulse through the relaycoils, a retractile spring connected to said bar and adapted to beplaced under tension by the compression spring, and means for adjustingthe tension of the retractile spring.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures this 30th day ofApril, 1918.

DONALD MoNICOL. WILLIAM O. POWERS, JR.

